CONTENT CREATORS SHOULD SNAP OUT OF TALKING ABOUT THE ELECTION

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Are you already bored with the election? It is dominating the news agendas. Why not harness a different approach?

An image of Prime Minister Theresa May for Edinburgh PR blog postBy Catriona Conway-Mortimer

UNLESS you’ve been living under a rock, there can’t be any way of not knowing that Theresa May has called a snap general election. Fear not, this isn’t yet another political opinion post – in fact, that’s about all I’m going to write on the subject.

My point is simply that since the election was announced, it has been practically impossible to miss the news and, if you have any social media accounts, it has been just as difficult to escape it.

The constant stream of big news like the snap election can actually create a feeling of apathy among overwhelmed  news readers – but it’s this feeling that content creators can take advantage of. Follow our top tips below and learn how to embrace the election fatigue for your own social media engagement plans:

Follow our top tips below and learn how to embrace the election fatigue for your own social media engagement plans:


1 – Remember your manners

As the old saying goes, never discuss politics, money or religion at the dinner table.

This simple rule of etiquette once applied to all social settings, yet it seems to have been thrown out the window for anyone who happes to be sitting safely behind a computer screen or a mobile phone.

Despite the popularity of political discussion on social media platforms, many still consider such open talk either impolite or even just tiring.

It can also get incredibly repetitive, after having read the news in the morning papers, to then see it regurgitated by every other media outlet and then shared and commented on by what can sometimes seem like all of your acquaintances, distant relatives and people you met once at a party.

So do yourself a favour and  prove that you have better manners than the competition by sticking to that old-fashioned rule and avoiding controversial political issues and stories.


2 – Don’t follow the crowd

While it may be tempting to jump on the bandwagon and create media about the biggest story of the moment, what many audiences are actually looking for during news like this is an escape. Content that has absolutely nothing to do with the snap election is what many people are craving. This is true for a lot of news. Many seek entertainment on social media –

Content that has absolutely nothing to do with the snap election is what many people are craving. This is true for a lot of news.

Many seek entertainment on social media – see the rise of LadBible.  It’s during times like this election that the ‘In other news…’ sections can really do well as distractions are very welcome. If you have a funny or uplifting story that you worry might not deemed serious enough news to be of any worth on a normal day, now is the time when it can actually be a great hit.


 

3 – Move away from traditional media as the sole platform

Don’t underestimate the power of the meme. No, really. Memes can be a great source of light-hearted comedy that can be tailored to suit practically any subculture. People will readily view memes as very little time is invested them

No, really. Memes can be a great source of light-hearted comedy that can be tailored to suit practically any subculture. People will readily view memes, including both images and GIFs as very little time is invested them to get that quick laugh.

They’re shared a great deal too as friends tag each other in them so much so that it is virtually considered socialising.

Our advice? You should be liberal in sprinkling the meme stardust on your content, particularly when it comes to finding ways to share your content via social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook.

Videos content, too, is extremely popular today and is a great way to maximise your potential audience. Today’s generation is more willing to watch videos on a subject rather than read about it.

These types of non-traditional media should be used more often by businesses if they’re looking to build their online presence.


Get creating

So consider this a call to action: it’s time to rescue the general public who are being bombarded with election news from every corner, and provide them with refuge in the way of something nice and distracting to entertain themselves with.

Want to separate yourself from the crowd and stand out via social media? Get in touch now with our Edinburgh PR agency

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